PIN-UP Queenslander and one of Australia's most exciting pacers Leap To Fame is close to a racetrack return.
Trainer-driver Grant Dixon confirmed the triple Derby winner would step-out in an Albion Park trial next Tuesday with a view to a string of major races in the huge Queensland Constellations Carnival in June/July.
“He’s come back really well,” Dixon said. “He’ll have this trial, maybe one more and then he’s back to the races.
“The plan is to have three runs this campaign, then a freshen-up and then aim for the Rising Sun and Blacks A Fake during the Carnival.”
Leap To Fame’s major target in this cameo campaign is the $50,000 APG Gold Bullion final at Albion Park on April 15.
Leap To Fame became the first pacer in 13 years to win Australia's three major Derbys – NSW, Queensland and Victoria – last year.
Raced by Kevin and Kay Seymour, the now four-year-old hasn’t raced since landing the fourth Group 1 of his career when he took out the NSW Breeders Challenge 3YO final at Menangle on October 29.
He’s raced just 23 times for 17 wins, four seconds, a third and banked $521,412.
Dixon and Seymour strategically and somewhat surprisingly bypassed the recent Chariots Of Fire – Australia’s biggest 4YO race – and the Miracle Mile to focus on the Queensland winter riches and the world’s richest harness race, the inaugural $2.1 million TAB Eureka at Menangle on September 2.
“You can’t run in everything,” Dixon said. “He had a late finish to the year and there are some big plans for him later this year, so he needed a good break in between.”
But Dixon watched with interest as other buzz four-year-olds Catch A Wave and Captain Ravishing did battle through the Chariots Of Fire and Miracle Mile.
It’s clearly a vintage crop and sets the scene for an epic first running of the Eureka, which is restricted to Australian-bred three and four-year-old pacers only.
“All three have shown outstanding potential at times,” Dixon said of Leap To Fame, Catch A Wave and Captain Ravishing. “Catch A Wave didn’t surprise me winning the Chariots and Miracle Mile, he’s probably just back to where we thought he would end-up before a few below par runs.
“It’s got all the makings of a fantastic race, especially when you throw in the best three-years-old, too.”
Dixon has trained stars like Colt Thirty One and Majestic Mach, but openly says Leap To Fame is his best yet.
Leap To Fame will be a headline act through the enhanced Queensland Winter Carnival, which boasts over $3 million in prize money, eight Group 1 races and 20 Group races.
Champion Victorian trainer Emma Stewart is focused on a big Queensland raid with open-class stars like Honolua Bay and Mach Dan, mares Tough Tilly and Amore Vita and young guns The Lost Storm and Major Delight.
And NZ’s best three-year-old, Merlin, will also chase the Queensland Derby and Rising Sun.
- Adam Hamilton is a paid contributor writing on harness racing for News Corp.
